Blood of a Slave

“BLOOD OF A SLAVE”

By

Dar Ramone

10423 Meadow Spring Drive

Tampa, FL 33647

8135349166

VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI. MAY 18, 1863

Rebirth

Isaac is running through the forest. He knows that it is only a matter of time before whatever is chasing him, catches up. He had not gotten a good luck at him, but he understood that whatever it was wasn’t human. The last thing he saw was a man that could not have been the same white men he saw on the plantation- kill every one of the paddy rollers. He was whipped, and although he was grateful to be saved, he knew about “men” like this. Knew they were not men. Something else, Something other. He did not want to find out. He was just about to make it in the river when it appeared before him, as if by magic.

ABRAHAM

“Were you planning to jump in the river, then? I admire your quick thinking, although- you wouldn’t have made it far."

ISAAC

His accent was strange, although it felt familiar to me. I did not know why.

“I figure my chances in it are better than here.”

He looked as if he was pondering that for a moment, a sly smile on the corner of his lips. This infuriated me, and then he spoke again, except now he had moved closer to me.

ABRAHAM

“I mean you no harm, Isaac. Only to show you your true potential.”

ISAAC

“No harm? How am I believe I would not have ended up dead, just like them paddy rollers?

I shuddered at the thought. I knew I was no match for him, but if he wanted to kill me, he already would have, that much I knew. He moved closer to me.

ABRAHAM

“I’ve been watching you for some time, who do you think has been leaving you the books?”

Abraham was behind Isaac now; In the amount of time it took Isaac to blink.

“I’ve watched you for a few years now. You’re compassionate, and a leader. The others will follow you. I only aim to assist you in the saving of your people. I know you think joining the war effort is the answer, but I believe you can save them, all on your own. This will hurt, and I apologize in advance.”

Abraham bites Isaac, and drains him of his blood, starting the transformation process. He must listen carefully to his heart. In order to make a vampire, he must give him his own blood on the precipice of death. It is exceedingly difficult to do, and it is not common that a vampire succeeds in doing so; he must be ahead of the bloodlust. He hears his heartbeat slow to a crawl and gives Isaac his blood.

May 20th, 1863

Blood

The last thing I remembered that day, was the burning, hollow ache I felt throughout my body, more intensely in my throat and in my stomach. I noticed after, that I could see things I never realized were there before. Hear things from so far off I couldn’t even make out what it was. The man from before- I had believed he’d left me. Turned me into whatever I was now. I would have probably been angry, but my thoughts were muddled. Everything was so intense. I was so hungry, or thirsty. I couldn’t tell- it felt like a universal feeling. I just wanted it to stop.

And then I smelled something. Whatever it was, I knew it would satiate the hollow ache I felt in my bones, and I wanted it now.

I pinpointed the location of this scent, and suddenly my body was moving forward so fast, that if I hadn’t acquired this new vision, everything would have been a blurred. The sudden movement and my own fear of myself caused me to halt. The force shook nearby trees, and my feet had uprooted the earth beneath me.

“What am I?”

I tried so hard to remember anything from the last few days, something that could help me to put the puzzle together. I remembered leaving the plantation, I remembered seeing my brothers die. I remembered running away in the forest, and that something had me terrified. I remember a cliff, and I could have sworn… I jumped? Except that I obviously didn’t, and if I had- it wasn’t this seemingly indestructible body I had now. I needed to think, but all I could focus on was the burning in my throat, the ache in my stomach. It felt as if I’d been starved overnight.

I was running again.

This time, I didn’t fight it. Instead, I tried to focus myself into a straight line instead of running through obstacles. I figured, maybe I could think more clearly if I had that to focus on. I was somewhat right, it did help me think- about whatever I was about to find, and I realized what it was that I was looking for.

Prey.

I was hunting.

I thought it would scare me, but it only exhilarated me. My body began to vibrate with intensity in anticipation for the ache to be soothed. I was getting closer to my prey, and although I was ready to meet whatever it was, I found myself enjoying the hunt itself. However, what I met before me made my heart drop.

I was on the edge of the plantation. I wasn’t sure of the time, although the sky was a vivid purple instead of the usual black. Judging from the activity on the plantation, I guessed it to be just after dusk. It was Saturday, and so all the field slaves were enjoying the only day off they had. For a moment, I forgot about why I’d come here. I know it had only a minute had passed since I’d arrived, but the ache. It felt as if I’d spent an eternity in this one moment to resist the urge to flit across the field and satiate my hunger.

It was then that I realized what it was that I wanted. What called to me from at least a couple miles away.

Blood.